Crossfit advocates a mix of aerobic exercise, body weight exercise, gymnastics and weight lifting. Crossfit can be described as strength and conditioning mixed exercises which involve constantly varied, high intensity, functional movements. Crossfit workouts are typically short in duration, intense, and demanding all-out physical exertion. Crossfit exercises include but are not limited to movements such as sprinting, rowing, jumping rope, climbing rope, flipping tires, weightlifting, carrying heavy objects, and many bodyweight exercises; equipment used includes barbells, dumbbells, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars, kettlebells, medicine balls, boxes for box jumps, handstands and handstand pushups. Crossfit exercises, such as handstand pushups access a person's physical skills, including a person's cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy.
Crossfit exercising programming can be found in private affiliated gyms, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, military organizations and high school and college physical education programs and sports teams. The crossfit workout requires strength training or endurance exercises to be completed in as many repetitions possible in a certain amount of time. For this reason, a persons may sacrifice form in exchange for finishing a workout quicker. When it comes to strength training or endurance exercises, improper form, at high speeds is the surest way to get seriously injured. For example, when completing a handstand pushup, if a person does not have somebody spotting them or telling them to keep their form correct, then injury will likely occur. The present invention seeks to solve this problem by providing an apparatus which allows for correct form and decreased pressure on the shoulders by providing protection to a person's head and cervical spine.
A handstand is a gymnastic move that occurs when a person balances on her hands with their legs straight in the air. Doing a handstand requires strength and flexibility of the muscles and joints in the body. A handstand pushup requires a person be inverted with their feet in the air. The higher a person's feet, the more stress is placed on the shoulders and neck. The present invention solves the inherent danger to a persons, joints, neck and shoulder when doing handstand pushups by creating a cradle for the head and cervical spine.
Many human joints are used in a handstand pushup. A person's hinge joints are located in the elbows, knees and ankles. During a handstand, the joint in the elbow is locked to allow the arms to become straight and support the weight of the body. The joint in the knees and ankles are also used when bringing the legs up in the air and keeping the legs straight and feet pointed. A person's pivot joint connects the first and second vertebrae together at the base of the skull and allows for neck rotation. A persons ball and socket joints are located at the hip and the shoulder. The ball and socket joint in the hip allows the legs to rotate upward. In the shoulder, the ball and socket join allows a person's arms to rotate above the head to support the body in a handstand pushup. Lastly, the condyloid joint in the wrist allows the wrist to be bent at a 90-degree angle, inward, outward or in a circular motion during a handstand pushup.
There are many methods of accomplishing a handstand pushup but each method has an inherent danger that can be lessened by using the present invention. For instance, a handstand pushup may begin with a person's back against a wall. A person may then lift their hands above their head while making sure their arms are straight. A person may either step forward and throw their hands down and kick up or a person may bend at the waist wherein both hands are placed on the floor at shoulder width. Ultimately, the body is upside down with the arms and legs fully extended straight. Using a wall allows a person to kick themselves up against the wall with their arms straight. Once inverted, a person then slowly lowers oneself to the ground as they inhale until their head almost touches the floor. A person then raises oneself away from the ground and repeats the exercise.
In another method, a person may kick one leg in front of them, take a large step forward with that leg, lean forward while keeping their body straight, and allow their body to invert over their lunged leg while simultaneously using some force to propel ones back foot upwards. Once inverted and straight, a person can proceed to lower and raise their body. The most common mistake in a handstand pushup is to throw ones hands straight down at the ground and try to throw ones legs upward. This results in a whip at the top and causes a person to fall forward. Allowing the shoulders to sag upwards or elbows bend also risks injury. The present invention would not allow a person's shoulders to sag by having the shoulders rest on the apparatus and thus aid in the elbows not bending.
The present invention would seek to allow a person to come down slow in order to prevent a head injury. In addition, the present invention creates stability when the floor surface is not stable or is slippery. In addition, the present invention can act as a “spotter” when one is not present. The present invention will assist is keeping a person's head neutral and in one place. This would allow a person to look down rather than flailing their head in order to assess their proximity to the wall or support. The apparatus will also ensure that a person's head is not inadvertently thrown back. The present invention also solves the problem of having to use an unstable prop such as a tree or box.
Handstand pushups, when done improperly can cause a large amount of compression to the brachial plexus, pinching of nerves in the shoulder, and twinges in the elbows. Serious neck injuries can also occur when completing a handstand improperly such as, cervical spinal stenosis whose symptoms include numbness, tingling or electricity pain in the arm, hands or fingers; cervicogenic headaches, whose symptoms include moderate to severe head pain, limited mobility of the neck, pain in the shoulder, neck, or arm, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, swallowing difficulties, swelling, and/or sensitivity to light or to loud noises; neck sprain or strain; wrist pain; osteoarthritis of the neck; and hyperextension/hyperflexion, which is more commonly known as whiplash where loss of neck motion is possible.
However, when done correctly, a handstand pushup can build core strength and greater flexibility and mobility. With the present invention, a person head is fit snugly into the apparatus such that a cradle of protection is created around the head and cervical spine when inverted. An athlete's shoulders will make contact with the device in such a way as to prevent a head-strike while descending or when in the inverted position. The apparatus allows a person to safely invert such that a person does not have to dangerously kickoff a wall or tree.
Conventional apparatus known in the exercising arena include, U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,737 entitled, Back Handspring Training Device. Such a device provides back support and not head and neck support like the present invention. In addition, such an apparatus is counter to crossfit exercises. Such an apparatus teaches a person how to correctly practice for gymnastics and not actually assists a person in doing gymnastics, a crossfit exercise.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,747 entitled, One Piece Face and Neck Exerciser, the apparatus enables people to use their neck and face muscles and is not used for injury prevention. The present invention ensures that a person does not use their neck muscles and instead uses shoulder and hand strength to avoid neck strain.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,010,814 entitled, Weight Bearing Headwear teaches a weight fitted under a hat or other type or headwear as another way to strengthen neck muscles. Unlike the present invention, the headwear taught does not prevent injury. The present invention is also not concerned with building neck and facial muscles, but shoulder and hand muscles.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,949, entitled Modular Neck Apparatus, the apparatus is used for the treatment of injuries to the neck. The present apparatus is used for the prevention of injuries to the neck.